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By Andrew Pileggi,
Senior Chaplain

This past May (15-26), a team of 13 Oakwoodites departed
from Huntsville to serve during a 10-day mission trip to Guatemala. Led by Chaplain
Andrew Pileggi and Dr. Eva Wheeler, from the Department of English &
Foreign Languages, the team included seven OU students and four professionals
from local Huntsville churches. The primary focus of this trip was to provide
free medical and dental services to residents of rural areas in the region of
Petén, Guatemala. Dr. Marcus Moss, ’08, worked alongside our students providing
free tooth extractions. Three OU pre-dental students were able to perform their
first tooth extraction assisted by Dr. Moss.

Others, including Drs. Elden Lopez and Dias from God’s
Helping Hands, assisted with medical intake interviews, measured blood pressure
and filled prescriptions. At the registration table, Chaplain Pileggi and Dr.
Wheeler counted an average of 90 patients per day. The days were hot, and the
lines were long, and the team was amazed by the patience of those they served.
The residents never complained about how long they had to wait, they never
raised their voices, and were more than understanding when the team had to
leave at the end of the day even though it meant some would not be able to see
one of the doctors or the dentist.

In addition to providing medical and dental care, the team
also visited an orphanage, a senior citizens’ home and a local elementary
school. At each location they interacted with the residents in singing,
art/crafts activities, short devotional thoughts and other meaningful activities.

One of the more impactful and life-changing activities was
giving food out to the homeless. The
team traveled to a dump, an actual landfill, where families lived in make-shift
tents and would scour the trash every day looking for items that could be sold
or food that was still edible. It was a sobering scene: women holding infants,
a pungent stench filling the air, mosquitos swarming around each person, trash
burning, and entire families scouring piles of trash. The team distributed 50
meals to the families. Some of the team members were so impacted that they
decided to return with more food, clothing and toys for the children.

The entire team loved the experience and many vowed to
return the following year. It was a mission trip that included various
opportunities for ministry, service learning, an excursion to the Mayan ruins
of Tikal, and plenty of fellowship.